Reviving feminism through social media: from the classroom to online and offline public spaces

Abstract

ABSTRACT Feminist research has urged the inquiry for strategies to engage young women in feminist debates and give them the tools to create effective techniques to fight against discriminatory practices in their own lives. In response to this call, we turn our attention to social media as one of the appropriate tools for sharing their stories, fighting against street harassment, and promoting the discussion on feminist ideals. Using a thematic analysis, we examine how a group of young female university students communicated, both in public spaces and on Facebook, new social representations after being exposed to feminist content, and after creating communication strategies to fight street harassment. Our thematic analysis revealed it is possible to engage young people with feminist principles when we reinforce the theoretical content with personal experiences, and when we use social media as a tool to express feelings and ideas.